Why do we have only one temple dedicated to Lord Brahma? 

Hindu culture reveres and worships nearly 33 million gods and goddesses; out of them, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are the Hindu Trimurtis who are said to create, preserve, and destroy the universe. They are the Gods of the Gods.  

Brahma, the rarely worshipped God and the tale of curses 
Although Lord Brahma is highly revered and worshipped in ancient Hindu scriptures by sages, he is rarely worshipped in temples or homes. So much so, that there is just one temple dedicated to him in India, a country full of temples! Incredible isn’t it? But why is the creator of the cosmos universe so denied of worship? What's the story? Let's explore. 

Many legends elaborate why the God of creation does not have many temples. One of them talks about a fight between Lords Brahma and Vishnu. Both wanted to claim their superiority amongst Gods. To solve their dispute, Lord Shiva created a pillar of light and said that the one who finds the end of the pillar would be the superior one. Brahma went up the pillar, in search of the top, whereas Vishnu went down, in search of the bottom of the pillar. After thousands of years of search, both failed to find the ends of the pillar. Vishnu accepted his defeat, but Brahma lied. Enraged by his lie, Lord Shiva cursed him for being undeserving of worship; so there would not be any temple to worship him. 

Another mythical tale narrates that Brahma was infatuated with Shatarupa, a beautiful female deity he had created. Angered by this indecency, Lord Shiva punished Brahma by cursing that no one on Earth would ever worship him. Now, which one is true, no one will ever know. But owing to these folklore, there are no other temples of Lord Brahma in the country! 

The Brahma Temple of Pushkar 
The only temple in India devoted to Lord Brahma is the Jagat Pita Brahma Mandir, or the Brahma Temple, situated in Pushkar, Rajasthan. It is among the top ten religious sites in the world and the five important Indian Hindu pilgrimages. 

The Brahma Temple, constructed in the 14th century, is thought to be 2000 years old; initially built by the sage Vishwamitra, later renovations were made by Adi Shankaracharya. This holy temple has marble steps (650 steps total of 750 feet in height), the image of swans at the main doorway, and an ornate gate leading to the mukhya mandapa (the main temple). The Garbhagriha (central sanctum) is where the idol of Lord Brahma is situated. The idol of Lord Brahma is Chaumurti (with four heads) with four hands, sitting cross-legged, gazing and guarding all four directions. Savitri and Gayatri, the two wives of Lord Brahma, are seated on either side of his idol.  

Legends surrounding the Brahma Temple of Pushkar 
According to a story in the Padma Purana (an ancient Hindu scripture), after killing a demon named Vajra Nabha for his cruel acts, Lord Brahma wanted to perform a Yagya (fire sacrifice) to cleanse himself from the demonic act of killing. While searching for a serene place to perform the Yagya, the lotus that Lord Brahma always holds in his hand, fell on Earth. So he decided to perform his Yagya at the spot where it fell, and is now called as ‘Pushkar.’  

Now, “Pushp” means flower, and “kar” means hand. That’s how Pushkar get its name! The tale goes on to say that the Yagya ritual was to be performed by Brahma along with his wife, Savitri. Due to the absence of Savitri, Brahma married Gayatri, a beautiful local Gurjar girl, and they carried out all the Yagya ceremonies together. Savitri, obviously became enraged when she learned that her husband had wed another lady, and she cursed Brahma that his followers would only worship him in Pushkar. Thus, as per legend, Pushkar Temple is the only temple devoted to Lord Brahma in all of India! Who knows what actually happened, but strong is the impact of myths in India! 

Unique temple rituals  
The Brahma temple is a unique shrine that allows only ascetic priests to conduct pooja rituals. Brahma Temple carries three types of poojas: The first one is Sandhyaarati, performed after dusk, followed by the Ratri Shayanaarati, performed roughly five hours after sunset and following that is Mangalaarati, held in the wee morning hours before sunrise.  

The priests adhere to religious rituals and do not allow married men to enter the Garbhagriha. Kartik Poornima, the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (October to November), is one of the most sacred festivals in India and this is when the Pushkar Fair is held each year. The typically quaint town comes to life with a five-day celebration that witnesses pilgrims taking baths in the sacred Pushkar Lake and celebrating at the Brahma Temple.